[ Reviewed by eXodus ]

 

Wow.. finally a Q2 review surfaces (it's been a while, hasn't it?) and wouldn't you know it's of a map that's just brimming over with quality.

 

Good levels seem par for the course nowadays for Q2... since many authors have moved on, only dedicated ones or ones that really are working on something special are still producing releases. Shaun, the author of this map, is no newbie mapper (he has a whole classic Quake episode to his credit), but this is his first release for Q2.

 

Mel Soaring is the name of your character in this map... you play a murderer who kills the Q2 marine! Don't understand? Have no fear, the story that comes with the map will explain it all. I won't spoil it for you.

 

OK, about the map. Where to start describing the good points is all I can say.. it's hard to tell from the overall quality of this map that it's a first Q2 release. Architecture is neatly done and r_speeds are kept fairly low (I noticed no speed problems on a K6-2 300/Voodoo2), texturing is appropriate throughout with no major misalignments, and gameplay is wonderfully balanced with a great mix of combat and mission objectives. In short, there's something here for everyone to like.

 

I don't suppose there's much else to say here. Really, this is all that's good about SPQ2 condensed into a one-level nutshell. There's plenty of good firefights, some keys to find and exploring to do, all set in a good-looking environment with lots of nice touches. This is a very solid map that I had lots of fun with, and I think you will too, so I feel confident in giving it a personal recommendation.